Apples or oranges
by crunch.myself
Summary: Every time Nami eats an apple, the taste is strange. Find out why. Rated T for nothing.


Background info on this fanfic: Nami does not like apples anymore. This is mostly due to a childhood incident that has deeply affected her on how she feels about apples and how it seems to disrespect the person she has loved.

Apples. The bright red fruit that do not please Nami the navigator at all. She dislikes such fruit. The sweet juices that trickle into a normal person's throat while munching on an apple does not happen when Nami encounters the same scenario of eating an apple. Instead, the juices are sour, bitter, salty. The three flavors combined, forming a sense of disgust down her esophagus, and eventually giving her the abnormalities in digesting her food properly.

The streak of bright orange traced the little girl's body. Her pale green pinafore rippled as the wind played against the light cloth, exposing the child's thin, yet perfect body. Nami had always been known to be the pickpocket, but also the navigator. Being both the Joker and Batman was what Nami would always be, she could be the pirate and the marine at the same time. Today, she was the pickpocket. The girl ran as fast as she could, hiding the apples that were rarely ever seen on Cocoyashi village underneath her dress, protruding a bumpy, pregnant belly. Behind her, was a lady with a tight bandanna tied over her afro, shouting at the girl with the apples. Her skirt was held up by her dainty fingers as she chased the young thief, stumbling over little stones that were set in her path. The girl enjoyed the chase very much. It was normal now, having adults chasing her around right after she had taken the items. She was not an especially talented pickpocket and would always end up running around the village, the items slowly falling out of her puffy dress, but it took practice. Which she did.

Surprisingly, Bellemere san would never get angry at Nami for the stealing. She'd scold her and tell her that it was a wrong-doing, but never really the _angry_ angry type. She would know, now or then, the girl would come crashing into the house with something tucked up her dress (Whatever that's tucked under it is nothing but usually supplies or food, nothing out of the ordinary). And as predicted, the mini red-head came running into the single-parent-ed family's living room, her dress tucked with miscellaneous items. Including the apples. Most people would have assumed Bellemere was the not-suited-to-be-a-parent type, which is in fact the opposite. Nami was always a trouble-maker, especially when it came to stealing, but Bellemere had a great way with the child. She would immediately apologize to the victim of the stealings; offer something in return; close the door; tapping her foot and lowering herself to suit the height of her adopted child. But of course, over a long period of time, Nami adjusted to the convenient scoldings that Bellemere would give, and the words would flow in one ear and out the other. This happened, until Bellemere felt disrespected and had to defend herself and her oranges- she vehemently slapped the youngster.

Slap!

"What do you think you're doing?" The parent screaming madly at her child, who sat in shock.

"Nami! How many times have you stolen things? How many times have I told you to stop?" Bellemere screamed.

"And you come back, with an arm full of apples." She sighed. "Apples. Yes, apples."

The red-head cocked her head,

"What's wrong with apples? Bellemere san." She replied to the older lady's sighing.

"Yes, apples. That's what's wrong with them." Bellemere continued to ramble.

The young girl, still confused set the apples onto the table. She looked over to the polished window where the woman with the bandanna was standing at. Her face was hysterical, waving her arms to and fro trying to catch the attention of the single mother. Nami only sighed, and waved back to the lady half-heartedly. Giving the old woman the feeling of an arrogant, cocky bitch trying to piss an old hag off. She literally threw rocks at the window, cracking a bit of the glass. Bellemere snapped up as the glass cracked, suddenly awake from her awkward reactions to the apples. She ran across to open the door, trying to negotiate on how to pay the old woman back.

"How about some of my oranges?" She started off politely, the old woman had to accept, they were the best throughout the entire East Blue.

"Here, I'll give you however many the brat took." Rolling her eyes as she said the word "brat".

"Well, she stole six of my apples, and they're real rare. You know what I mean, you never see those here in Cocoyashi right?" The old woman bargained.

"True, true. Alright then. A special offer from me 'kay? I'll give you the six oranges in place of the apples, and an extra three 'cause they're so special. How 'bout that?" She offered. The woman nodded graciously, waiting at the door glaring at the youngster occasionally while Bellemere went to fetch the nine oranges that she owed the woman. When the woman got her payback or oranges, Bellemere closed the door, turning around to face a sheepish Nami. With the usual tapping of the foot and lowering herself. She began to scold the child.

"You, my lady, are in big, serious trouble with me. Do you understand that?" The child began to yawn and lay her head between her arms that were flat on the dining table. _Here we go again._ She thought.

"You disappoint me." The three words shot the pain into Nami's heart. _She disappointed Bellemere san. How?_

"Why did you steal the apples?" Her voice still steady. The girl shrugs.

"Why?" Her voice raising slightly. The girl notices the crescendo and speaks up,

"I felt like it."

"You do not only disappoint me, Nami. You disrespect me too. I work hard for you, every single time I forgive you for your deeds, but still you never change. I forgave you every time before, but I won't this time." She begins. "Do you know what an apple means in the heart of an orange grower? (please tell me the word meaning orange grower- it suddenly slipped out of my mind) Nami!" At the sound of her name, Nami looked up towards an over-emotional Bellemere san.

"Apples are a sign of disrespect. You bring apples home, you disrespect me. As an orange grower, I am very saddened by this. Every time I take a bite of an apple, the juice does not trickle down my throat, it clings onto the sides, burning away my flesh that surrounds my neck. It hurts to eat apples when you have oranges."

The girl had no idea on why Bellemere san had so much trouble in eating apples. But ever since the apples were brought into the house, they never tasted the same anymore. They were sour, bitter and salty. Eventually, Nami gave up on eating apples. They tasted all the same, wherever the apples came from. It stuck to her forever like a curse.

**A/N: AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!! Please help me with this. It was originally meant to be a happy BellemereXNami fanfic. Criticism is very much welcome. Also that little note made up there, the orange grower thing. Please tell me if anyone knows the proper name for it. I need to make changes on this story, but I won't do it now, since I don't feel like re-writing. Anyways, please comment and tell me if you like it or not.... aaargh I'm blabbering. Nighttime disease.**


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